Obama’s Mother-in-Law to Move Into the White House

It’s official: Marian Robinson, the 71-year-old mother-in-law of President-elect Barack Obama, will be moving into the White House, transition officials said on Friday.

In fact, Mrs. Robinson is already in town, helping to smooth the family’s personal transition as Mr. Obama, his wife, Michelle, and their two daughters prepare for new lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

“She is here to help them get up and running,’’ said Katie McCormick Lelyveld, a spokeswoman for Mrs. Obama. “She will determine in the coming months whether or not she wants to stay in D.C. permanently.”

In some ways, Mrs. Robinson’s decision to move – at least temporarily — is no real surprise. During the presidential campaign, Mrs. Robinson was a family mainstay, caring for the Obama girls, Sasha and Malia, while their parents were on the road.

She took them to school, to piano lesson and dance lessons, cooked their meals, ran their baths and got them to bed on time. She was a critical part of the family’s effort to keep the girls’ lives as normal as possible in the midst of extraordinary times.

But Mrs. Robinson is also deeply rooted in Chicago. She still lives in the house where Michelle Obama grew up. And she has often expressed ambivalence about the notion of moving to Washington.

“I’ve never lived outside of Chicago, so I don’t know,’’ said Mrs. Robinson, hesitating a bit as she considered last year whether she was willing to move into the White House. “In the end, in the end, I’ll do whatever. I might fuss a little, but I’ll be there.”

Grandmothers Rock! We should all be so lucky to have a grandmother like Mrs. Robinson. The White House will be a better place with three generations living there and more like a home than an institution with extended family in the mix.

It sounds like she is doing her patriotic duty. The president will worry less about his family and can concentrate on the Country. The transition for the girls will also be much less traumatic. I wouldn’t want to move either.

What a treasure for the first Lady to have her mom with her and the children when they go to the White House. It is a blessing for the girls to have not only their parents but also their grandmother to help them adjust to so many changes in their lives. I do hope Mrs. Robinson does decide to stay the course, she’d be such an asset and comfort to the first family. Who knows? She might just enjoy it.

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